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More Meth Labs, More Arrests

January 24, 2011

by:

Dwayne Page

Three people are facing drug charges after a county deputy allegedly found meth lab components in their vehicle during a traffic stop Saturday on Antioch Road.

20 year old Christopher Justin Garrett of Clear Creek Road, Liberty; 28 year old Brandon J. Gurley of Bell Street, Smithville; and Jamie Lee Hodges of Old Bildad Road, Smithville are each charged with initiation of a process intended to result in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Bond for each is $50,000 and their court date is February 10th. Garrett was further issued a citation for violation of the seat belt law and for failure to carry his drivers license while Gurley was also written a citation for violation of the seat belt law and littering.

Sheriff Patrick Ray reports that on January 22nd, a deputy saw a vehicle on Antioch Road and noticed that the driver and passenger were not wearing seatbelts. As the officer was pulling over the automobile, one of the passengers, Gurley, threw some items out of the window. The deputy approached the vehicle, spoke to the driver, Garrett, and learned that he was on state probation. The officer received consent to search and found in Garrett's jacket pocket, nine lithium batteries. Inside the vehicle between Gurley's feet was a backpack which contained a plastic bottle with layered liquid and glass cookware. The deputy also found another backpack in the trunk, containing a plastic bottle with more layered liquid, a mason jar with layered liquid, acid, coffee filters, cold packs, and black insulated electrical tape. These items are consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine. Garrett, Gurley and Hodges allegedly admitted to knowing what was in the bag between Gurley's feet and the bag in the trunk.

Meanwhile in a separate case, three people were allegedly caught cooking meth at a residence at the Loop on Sunday.

18 year old Wesley J. Hayes of Roach Hollow Road, Woodbury; 29 year old Scott B. Carroll, Jr. of Banks Pisgah Road; and 19 year old Francisco Bustamonte of West Bryant Street are charged with manufacture of a schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine) and reckless endangerment for allegedly cooking meth in the presence of a sixteen year old female. Each is under a $60,000 bond and they will be in court on February 10th.

According to Sheriff Ray, a deputy went to the Loop on January 23rd to check out a report of a possible meth lab. After receiving consent to search, the officer knocked on a bedroom door. Carroll opened the door and the deputy saw him and two other people standing by the door. All three were wearing black gloves and a strong chemical odor could be smelled coming from inside the room. In the bathroom sink were two Coleman propane tanks with cooking heads and the cookers were activated. Glass cookware was setting on the cookers. Meanwhile, in the bedroom the officer saw a jar, containing a tri layered liquid, a 20 ounce plastic bottle with tubing and an unknown liquid. Also found were backpacks containing bottles with liquid, cooking heads, a zip lock bag of ammonium nitrate, propane cylinders, baggies, and other components used to manufacture methamphetamine. Sheriff Ray said Hayes, Carroll, and Bustamonte were in the room during the cooking of the meth and placed a sixteen year old female in danger of serious bodily injury by cooking the meth which produces a strong chemical odor that is toxic.

In another case, 41 year old David Dewaine Anderson of Floyd Drive Smithville is charged with unlawful possession of a schedule II controlled substance (dilaudid) for resale; unlawful possession of a schedule III controlled substance (suboxone); and resisting, stop, frisk, halt, or search.

According to Sheriff Ray, on January 21st, Anderson was a passenger of a vehicle which was stopped by a deputy. Anderson jumped out of the automobile and fled on foot toward a building on Highway 70 east. The officer yelled for Anderson to stop several times, but he refused. After a foot pursuit, the officer caught up with Anderson and placed him under arrest. A search of his person turned up wrapped cellophane in Anderson's right pocket which contained three and a half pills and a quarter of a pill, orange in color, believed to be suboxone; and five yellow pills believed to be dilaudid. In addition to the drugs, the officer seized $271.

43 year old Jorge Halberto Molina of Short Mountain Highway was issued a citation for allowing animals to run at large. He will be in court on February 24th. According to the citation, on January 21st Molina's cattle got out on two separate occasions and one of the cows was struck by an automobile in the middle of Short Mountain Highway. Molina admitted that the cows belonged to him.

26 year old Raymond Simpson of Church Street, Dowelltown was issued a citation for driving on a suspended license. According to the citation, a deputy pulled over Simpson's vehicle for a traffic violation and saw the driver switch places with the passenger. Simpson admitted to the officer that he had been driving but switched places with the passenger before pulling out of a business parking lot on Highway 70 west. His license was suspended in June 2010.

24 year old Amanda May Judkins of Page Drive was issued a citation on January 17th for no drivers license. Her court date is January 26th. An officer stopped her vehicle for speeding and swerving. A computer check revealed that she did not have a valid drivers license. She only had identification.

56 year old Mattie Patricia Parks of Hayes Ridge Road, Lancaster was issued a citation on January 17th for simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She will be in court on March 10th. An officer stopped her vehicle on suspicion that the driver was intoxicated. The deputy conducted a search of the automobile and found a crack pipe and a white rock substance believed to be a schedule II drug (crack cocaine).

Matthew Lee Tinsley of Parkway Drive, Smithville was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the citation, on January 18th a deputy responded to 898 Parkway Drive accompanying the Department of Children's Services on a home visit. The officer received consent to search the home and he found in the bedroom, a bag containing eight needles, several cut straws, two spoons, and a bottle. Tinsley allegedly admitted that these items belonged to him. He will appear in court on January 27th.

35 year old Christopher Eugene Miranda of Stergaze Lane, Baxter was issued a citation for driving on a suspended license and violation of the light law. He will appear in court on February 16th. An officer stopped Miranda on January 19th for violation of the light law. A check of his drivers license revealed that they were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation in Wilson County on June 23rd, 2006.

31 year old Aubrey Glenn Rigsby of Bethel Road, Smithville is charged with a third offense of driving on a suspended license; felony evading arrest; possession of drug paraphernalia; and vandalism under $500. His bond totals $14,500 and he will be in court on January 27th.

Sheriff Ray reported that on Friday, January 14th a deputy saw Rigsby operating a motor vehicle on Bright Hill Road. Having prior knowledge that his license were suspended, the officer tried to stop Rigsby but he evaded. When the officer caught up with the vehicle on College Street, he activated his blue lights and sirens signaling Rigsby to stop, but Rigsby turned onto Hayes Street and then onto Short Mountain Highway, failing to yield to any of the stop signs. Rigsby continued onto Miller Road, then to Robinson Road before the officer terminated the pursuit in the interest of public safety. However when he got to Game Ridge Road, the officer started the pursuit again following Rigsby until he drove through a field on Whorton Springs Road, where the pursuit was terminated due to icy road conditions and Rigsby's reckless driving.

Rigsby was eventually arrested on Thursday, January 20th. On that day, Sheriff Ray said that Rigsby was operating a vehicle on Highway 56 north when an officer spotted him. The deputy had knowledge that Rigsby's license were suspended so he tried to stop him in order to serve a warrant. When Rigsby turned onto Poplar Street, the officer activated his blue lights. Instead of stopping, Rigsby accelerated, traveling about a quarter of a mile farther in his vehicle, before stopping. Rigsby then got out of his automobile and ran about 300 yards on foot before the officers caught him. During his run from the law on Poplar Street, Rigsby had driven his vehicle into the yard of a residence, spinning his tires and leaving deep tire marks in the yard, causing damage.

While conducting an inventory of the automobile for towing, the officer found a pouch between the seats and the console containing five used hypodermic needles and a glass pipe with residue. A computer check confirmed that Rigsby's license were suspended for frequent traffic violations in DeKalb County.

23 year old Jose Rodrigo Soto of Big Wood Road, Smithville is charged with a first offense of driving under the influence. His bond is $1,500 and he will be in court on February 10th. Soto was also issued a citation for driving on a suspended license; violation of the open container law; failure to maintain his lane of travel; and violation of the implied consent law. Sheriff Ray said that on January 20th while traveling on Highway 70 west, a deputy saw a vehicle cross both lanes of travel about six times. He stopped the automobile and spoke to the driver, Soto. The officer detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on him. Soto submitted to several field sobriety tasks and performed poorly on all. He also refused to submit to a blood alcohol test.

27 year old Brandon Ross Bogle is charged with driving on a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bogle is under a $2,000 bond and he will be in court on February 3rd. According to Sheriff Ray, Bogle was operating a motor vehicle on Bright Hill Road on Thursday, January 20th. Having prior knowledge that Bogle's license were suspended, a deputy pulled him over. A computer check confirmed that Bogle's license were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation on January 5th, 2009. Upon a pat down search, the officer found in Bogle's pocket, a cut straw with a yellow powdery residue.

31 year old Christopher David Hall of Anthony Avenue is charged with a second offense of driving on a suspended license. His bond is $1,000 and he will be in court on February 9th. Sheriff Ray said that on January 21st, a deputy saw Hall operating a vehicle on Highway 70 east. Having prior knowledge that his license were suspended, the officer pulled him over. Due to his failure to pay fines in three citations and for assurance he would appear in court, a warrant was issued for his arrest on this charge. A computer check confirmed that Hall's license were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation.

24 year old Ashley Dawn Golden of Oak Drive, Smithville and 33 year old Jeremy Austin Scruggs of Highland Drive, Smithville are each charged with filing a false report. Bond for each is $1,500 and they will be in court on February 3rd. On January 22nd, two deputies went to Big Hurricane Road to serve an arrest warrant on Andy Scruggs. After knocking on the door, the officers asked Golden if Scruggs was there. She replied "no". Scruggs' brother Jeremy, also present, was asked and he too replied "no". Both were told that there was a warrant for Scrugg's arrest and that if they were being untruthful, they too could be arrested and charged. The officers then asked for consent to search the residence, but were denied. The deputies left but returned later on foot and saw Scruggs in the kitchen. The officers then made entry to the home and placed Scruggs under arrest.